A low-pathogenic H5N2 strain of bird flu is confirmed on 2nd November, at Chookies Farm and Feed store in Kent. As a result of bird flu, all the 480 birds of various species, including swans, chickens, ducks, and pigeons were culled to prevent the spread of the bird flu.
Bird Flu is a very rare flu, contracted by contact with sick birds. This flu can be passed to humans also via direct contact.
On the very next day, that is, 3rd November, an unrelated outbreak of bird flu was reported at a farm which rears broiler breeder chicken in Cheshire. H5N8 again caused it.
Reports have confirmed that the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu is increasing in Europe. The H5N8 can cause severe damage in the poultry as well as to other birds and humans. So, it has been decided that all the 13,500 birds of the farm in Cheshire will be culled.
The sole reason for the killing of birds is to prevent the spreading of infection, as this could cause a severe pandemic threat to the world.
According to the data collected by various surveys, it has been confirmed that Since the year 2003, the World Health Organization has reported 861 confirmed human cases and 455 deaths due to H5N1. This gives us a crystal clear picture that approximately 60 per cent of the people, who had been infected via the virus had died. Though the human infection rate is low, it may cause a severe threat to humans, as the recovery rate is shallow.
The widespread human infection with H5N1 has resulted from direct contact with poultry, and those of person-to-person communication.
Different vaccines are made every year, based on the season, to cure the infection. It would be a severe cause of concern if the people with COVID-19, get mutated with the H5N1 virus. This will increase the death rate all across the globe, and it would become challenging for the government as well as doctors to control both the viruses at the same time.
One of the most senior public health experts of the World Health Organisation, David Nabarro, said that the range of deaths could be anything between 5 and 150 million.
To control bird flu, and prevent the flu from spreading across the globe, authorities have put temporary control zones in infected premises in Kent and Cheshire. Also, alerts have been sent to people who keep birds.
The best alternative, to control cases of flu and to protect the globe from touches of flu-like swine flu and bird flu in the future is that people should go vegan. And also to end factory farming.
If the people had taken the scientist’s warning carefully about the human health risks caused by intensive animal farming units, such a situation would have never arisen.
Though, it’s still not that late. We can always go Vegan and protect ourselves and people all across the globe.
